Influence of Fast Drying on the Morphology of α-Fe2O3 and FeMnO3/α-Fe2O3 Fibers Produced by Solution Blow Spinning

α-Fe2O3 and FeMnO3/α-Fe2O3 fibers were successfully prepared via Solution Blow Spinning (SBS). The effect of drying during the SBS process on fiber morphology was evaluated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and N2 adsorption-desorption isotherms. A slow drying promoted continuous fibers with rough surfaces and lower average diameters. However, fast drying enabled the production of fibers with low densification and many surface pores with higher BET-specific surface areas. The porous fibers produced have potential applications in energy generation and storage.

Magnetic properties of Fe-doped NiO nanoparticles

Undoped and Fe-doped NiO nanoparticles were successfully synthesized using a lyophilization method and systematically characterized through magnetization techniques over a wide temperature range, with varying intensity and frequency of the applied magnetic fields. The Ni1-xFexO nanoparticles can be described by a core-shell model, which reveals that Fe doping enhances exchange interactions in correlation with nanoparticle size reduction. The nanoparticles exhibit a superparamagnetic blocking transition, primarily attributed to their cores, at temperatures ranging from above room temperature to low temperatures, depending on the Fe-doping level and sample synthesis temperature. The nanoparticle shells also exhibit a transition at low temperatures, in this case to a cluster-glass-like state, caused by the dipolar magnetic interactions between the net magnetic moments of the clusters. Their freezing temperature shifts to higher temperatures as the Fe-doping level increases. The existence of an exchange bias interaction was observed, thus validating the core-shell model proposed.

Catalytic dehydration of glycerol over Cu-Fe-Al-based oxides: understanding changes in active sites throughout the reaction

The glycerol conversion into acetol using Fe, Al and Cu-based oxides was investigated. XRD results indicate the formation of nanosized particles with high phase dispersion, however, Raman, Mössbauer, 27Al NMR and XPS spectroscopies suggest the presence of iron(iii) oxide, Al2O3 and CuO phases. The FTIR with pyridine adsorption revealed high Lewis acidity. The TPR profile showed the reduction temperature range for the Fe3+ and Cu2+ sites, indicating the suitable condition for pretreatment. The N2 adsorption-desorption isotherms indicated the presence of micro-mesopores with interesting textural properties and specific area varying between 71 and 220 m2 g-1, while the porous morphology was observed by SEM and TEM images. The optimized catalytic tests showed glycerol conversion of 60% and acetol selectivity of 92% with 17% of coke according to TG profile. The recycling tests confirmed the efficiency of the solid, reaching 28% conversion and 91% acetol selectivity after four reuses and, after reactivation in an oxidizing atmosphere, the catalytic performance obtained results close to the second reuse. The interaction between the different Lewis acid sites involved in the mechanisms for the acetol and coke formation on the catalyst surface is discussed. The charge distribution represented by colors which indicates the acid-base surface was evaluated by a simple theoretical-computational study based on the DFT approach. The synergy between the active sites indicates that the presence of Cu0/Cu+ drastically increases the acetol selectivity which is a more important characteristic than the high Lewis acidity of Fen+ and Al3+.

Synthesis, Characterization and Photocatalytic Activity of CoFe2O4/Fe2O3 Dispersed in Mesoporous KIT-6

The present work aimed to synthesize and characterize a solid based on CoFe₂O₄/Fe₂O₃-KIT-6 and evaluate its performance in the photocatalytic degradation of the remazol red ultra RGB dye. By analyzing XRD, N₂ physisorption, and Mössbauer results, it was possible to identify that the desired CoFe₂O₄/Fe₂O₃ phase was achieved, which maintained its structural properties. The FTIR-pyridine indicated the presence of Lewis acid sites, while TPD-CO₂ showed a large amount of weak basic sites. The band-gap energy indicated that the compound can be applied in photocatalytic degradation under UV/visible light, with the possibility of magnetic separation at the end of the reaction. The photocatalysis results indicated that there was complete degradation of the remazol red ultra RGB dye within 1 h of reaction. Despite the absence of H₂O₂, the combination of the proposed photocatalyst with the anatase phase (TiO₂) showed significant improvements in the degradation process. The proposed mechanism for complete dye degradation indicated that a sequence of radical reactions is necessary, generating oxidant species such as •OH and the final products were CO₂ and H₂O.

Oxidative dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene to styrene over the CoFe2O4–MCM-41 catalyst: preferential adsorption on the O2−Fe3+O2− sites located at octahedral positions

The present study describes the catalytic performance of cobalt ferrite supported on MCM-41 for the oxidative dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene.

Wasp-waisted behavior in magnetic hysteresis curves of CoFe2O4 nanopowder at a low temperature: experimental evidence and theoretical approach

We theoretically and experimentally investigated wasp-waisted magnetic hysteresis curves at a low temperature for CoFe₂O₄ nanopowders.